


Naptime

by lillianmmalter



Series: Productive Procrastination [4]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 01:33:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14438631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillianmmalter/pseuds/lillianmmalter
Summary: Why is it small children never want to go down for a nap?A Tumblr prompt ficlet.





	Naptime

**Author's Note:**

> I stole the first line from one of those prompt lists.

“Your hair is so soft.”

Peggy cracked an eye open at the whisper. A small damp hand thudded onto her scalp and proceeded to pet her like a cat. At least, she was certain that was the intent behind the motion, even if the execution was rather less… gentle than perhaps it should be.

“Why are you not asleep?” she asked, not moving.

The hand stilled. There was furtive movement behind her, resulting in a foot to one of her kidneys and an elbow to her shoulder blade.

Peggy gave it a moment, then closed her eye again, focusing on evening her breaths. She was so tired. Just a few minutes cat nap was all she needed and she’d be right as rain again.

Something pulled at a few strands of her hair.

Peggy held back a groan. She flipped over onto her other side and shot a glare at her bedmate.

“You, sir, are supposed to be sleeping.”

The little demon had the nerve to giggle. The mischievous twinkle in his wide brown eyes was far too reminiscent of his father in younger days.

“That was the deal,” Peggy reminded him. “I lay down with you to take a nap and you actually sleep.”

“I did sleep!”

Peggy raised an eyebrow at him. “You must move around a lot in your sleep then, because you’ve barely stopped kicking me once.”

He giggled at her again.

“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you? How’s this for funny?” 

Peggy launched herself at the rascal’s tiny form, tickling him mercilessly until tears ran down his cheeks and the bedroom rang with the sound of his childish laughter.

“Stop! Auntie Peg! Stop!”

Peggy stopped tickling him, but threw the comforter over his head in revenge. The lump that was the four year old form of Tony Stark giggled.

“See if I ever volunteer to babysit you again,” she teased.

The giggling stopped and the lump stopped squirming. Peggy blinked. She pulled the comforter back to reveal a somehow smaller than usual version of her godson staring at her with sad eyes.

“I’ll sleep,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut in emphasis. Peggy held back a sigh.

“That would be preferable, but there’s no way you’ll manage it all tensed up like that.”

Tony squirmed as though trying to get comfortable, but the performance wasn’t at all convincing. Peggy laid a hand across his belly and rubbed in the way her own children had once found calming half a lifetime ago.

“Are you really not tired at all?” she asked.

“‘M tired,” he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

“Uh huh. Tell you what. You lie here quietly for fifteen minutes and you can play with one of Uncle Daniel’s airplane kits. You don’t have to sleep, but you do have to lie still and be quiet. I’ll set a timer. How does that sound?”

Tony opened his eyes and gaped at her. “Really?”

“Really. Do you think you can manage that?”

Tony nodded quickly, then lay down on the bed like Dracula with his eyes closed. Peggy snorted. He was a handful, but most kids his age were. Peggy’s children certainly had been. Not for the first time, she hoped Howard and Maria were better parents than she feared.

She brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead just as she always used to with her own kids, then left to find the egg timer and the telephone. Daniel was still at the office, but perhaps he had a model kit lying around that he’d be willing to donate to Tony. Perhaps they could build it together when Daniel got home. She had a feeling they’d both like that.

And if she was really lucky, Tony’s fifteen minutes of enforced quiet would turn into an actual nap so she could catch some shuteye too. Peggy would definitely like that.


End file.
